


LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.' 



Chap. ..JB~T I -0 / 
Shelf.. *P 5" 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



* _ - 



MEMORIAL 



OF THE 



GOODNESS OF GOD, 



IN 



TWO DISCOURSES, 



DELIVERED AT THE OPENING OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN 
CHURCH IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, JAN. 11, 1S46, 



BY Are PASTOR. 

- 



PKINTED BY REQUEST AND FOR THE USE OF THE CONGREGATION. 



NEW YORK: 

ROBERT CARTER, 58 CANAL STREET. 

PITTSBURG 56 MARKET STREET. 



18 4 6, 
Co 



PS 




EDWARD O. JENKINS, PRINTER, 

114 Nassau street 



A MEMORIAL 



OF THE 



GOODNESS OF GOD 



DISCOURSE I. 

Text. — Jeremiah li. 10, last clause of the verse, " Come and 
let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God." 

Our meeting in this house of prayer 
to-day is calculated to awaken the most 
tender and thrilling recollections, and 
to call forth our warmest expressions of 
gratitude to the great Head of the 
Church. We have, as a congregation, 
passed through a severe ordeal. To be 
obliged to leave our former place of wor- 
ship, and to break away from all those 
associations by which it had become 
endeared to us — to abandon the ground 



upon which our predecessors, through 
successive generations, had met, and 
upon which many of us had so frequently 
been permitted to engage in the wor- 
ship of Almighty God — where the glo- 
rious Gospel of the grace of God had 
been for so long a period proclaimed, 
and the sacraments administered by dis- 
tinguished servants of Christ — where so 
many prayers had been offered and an- 
swered — where the Holy Spirit had been 
poured out — and where, through His in- 
fluence so many had been born into the 
kingdom of God, sanctified, comforted 
and prepared for heaven — was a great 
trial, and occasioned a painful conflict. 
Yet, if we could, upon our first removal 
from thence, at once have entered this 
commodious edifice, it would have been 
an alleviation of our regret, and would 
have prevented the danger of disper- 
sion to which the congregation has been 



exposed ever since. But it was not so — - 
we have been subjected to great incon- 
venience and serious injury through the 
want of a suitable and comfortable place 
of worship in the meantime. 

The result, however, has been most 
gratifying, and is a just cause of thanks- 
giving. Instead of having been weak- 
ened, we have been strengthened dur- 
ing the period of our temporary exile, 
and under all the unfavorable circum- 
stances attending it. The attachment 
of the members of the congregation to 
the church of their fathers, and of their 
choice, has triumphed over all the con- 
siderations and influences by which they 
were tempted to separate from us, and 
we now know who are the true, sincere, 
conscientiously devoted, and tried friends 
of the First Presbyterian Church. They 
have done well — they have endured and 
performed a good work — the record of 
1* 



6 

which is on high. We pray that the 
blessing of our covenant God, to whom 
they look for their reward, may descend 
upon them and upon their children, 
henceforth and forever. 

The words of the text have been 
selected on account of the sentiments 
which they express. They inculcate the 
duty of acknowledging the goodness of 
God, and of recounting his mercies to- 
wards us ; and they teach us that this 
duty is to be performed in Zion. We are 
not merely in secret and as individuals to 
feel grateful — we are called upon as mem- 
bers of the Church to express, in a pub- 
lic manner, a sense of our obligations to 
the Lord — declaring in Zion what he 
has done for our souls and what he has 
done for his Church. The glory which 
Jehovah receives from his people in re- 
turn for distinguishing mercies bestowed 
upon them, is the public and social 



praise which they render to him in the 
ways of his own appointment — -" whoso 
offereth praise glorifieth God." This is 
our reasonable service, and is in accord- 
ance with our very constitution. In- 
gratitude is a transgression of the law 
of our nature. Those who are guilty of 
it discover the deepest depravity, and 
are justly condemned as brutish in the 
sight of God, as it is written, " I have 
nourished and brought up children but 
they have rebelled against me. The ox 
knoweth his owner and the ass his mas- 
ter's crib, but Israel doth not know, my 
people doth not consider." We are at 
all times to set a just value on the bless- 
ings we receive whilst we are to feel 
and acknowledge our un worthiness of 
them. We should cherish the senti- 
ments expressed by Jacob, when he 
said, " I am not worthy of the least of 
all the mercies, and of all the truth 



8 

which thou hast showed to thy servant ;" 
and by David, when he exclaimed with 
unaffected admiration, " Who am I, or 
what was my Father's house ? what is 
man that thou art mindful of him, or the 
son of man that thou visitest him ?" 
Every good gift, and every perfect gift 
cometh down from the Father of lights, 
and all the return we can make him for 
the benefits and mercies we receive from 
him continually, is to cherish and to 
acknowledge in sincerity a sense of our 
obligations to him. Instead of rest- 
ing in the gift, we must ascend with our 
hearts and affections to the Giver. We 
must declare the wonderful works of the 
Lord — his grace and condescension to 
the children of men, and give him thanks 
that we may show forth his praise. The 
performance of this duty with a right 
spirit, and in a suitable frame of mind, 
will bring with it its own reward and be 



9 

acceptable to God. It elevates the soul 
and prepares it for the pure and holy 
exercises of heaven. " It is good to give 
thanks unto the Lord, and praise is come- 
ly for the upright." The Lord says of 
his Church, " This people have I formed 
for myself. They shall show forth my 
praise." She is also required to remem- 
ber her origin and all the way in which 
she has been led, that with the blessing 
of God such a remembrance may be made 
the means of strengthening her faith and 
confidence in her Redeemer, and of in- 
creasing her love and gratitude to him. 

We think we can see the hand of God 
in our ecclesiastical organization, and in 
our preservation as a branch of the 
Church of Jesus Christ. Believing that 
this has been his work, we wish to de- 
clare it and to give him thanks for it. 

Without assailing, or making invidious 
comparisons with, the religious creed of 



10 

other Christian denominations — and cer- 
tainly without any design of disparaging 
or denouncing them — we propose on the 
present occasion to give a general state- 
ment and brief defence of that system of 
truth and ecclesiastical order which has 
been adopted by the Presbyterian Church . 
We believe that our doctrine, form 
of government and discipline, are strict- 
ly in accordance with the Word of God, 
and therefore prefer and hold them. 
We think we are prepared to show, by 
a fair interpretation of the Scriptures, 
as a reason of our faith and preference, 
that the doctrines contained in our Con- 
fession of Faith and Catechisms were 
taught by our Lord and his apostles. 
Many of them are expressed in their 
very language, and all of them are founded 
on their declarations, being according 
" to that form of sound words once de- 
livered to the saints." It is notorious 



11 

that the same objections which were 
raised against some of them when 
preached by the Saviour himself, and by 
his inspired Apostles, and which were 
answered by them at the time, are still 
urged against them as they are taught 
in our standards, and when they are 
faithfully preached by our ministers, 
which proves the unity of our doctrine 
with theirs, in those points at least. 
They are the same which were taught by 
the Holy Ghost from the beginning — 
in the faith of which the Fathers lived, 
obtained a good report and inherited 
the promises. They are the same which 
were believed, taught, and earnestly 
contended for by the Reformers, who 
learned them from the Scriptures as in- 
terpreted and applied by the Spirit. 

The truth is one, and the source of it 
unchangeable. Hence, all who learn 
it from that source, and come to the 



12 

knowledge of it through their expe- 
rience of its power, will agree substan- 
tially in their views of it. 

Those doctrines which have been 
called, by way of distinction, the doc- 
trines of the Reformation, were in the 
Bible from the beginning. They do not 
date from that period nor were they 
then first discovered. They had been 
always held by true believers, and were 
held by those who constituted the true 
Church of Christ during the darkest pe- 
riods of her history. When a part of 
what was called the Church had aposta- 
tized, was in alliance with the world — 
had substituted vain traditions of men 
for the truth of God — heathen and child- 
ish ceremonies for the simple and spirit- 
ual worship required in the gospel of 
Jesus Christ — the true Church was to be 
found in the valleys of Piedmont, among 
the Waldenses and Albigenses, and 



13 

among the followers of Wickliffe in dif- 
ferent places. Then, as there always 
has been, there was a remnant accord- 
ing to the election of grace, who did 
not bow the knee to Baal, and who were 
kept in the faith and love of the truth. 

Those doctrines which have been 
also called by way of distinction Calvin- 
istic, because they were more methodi- 
cally arranged by John Calvin, whose 
name they bear, than they had pre- 
viously been, and were more clearly and 
ably expounded by that wonderful man 
than by others — a man so great, so 
learned, so wise, and yet so good that 
his equal has not appeared in the Church 
since the days of Paul — were the doc- 
trines taught from the word of God by 
all the Reformers, and were almost uni- 
versally received by the friends of the 
Redeemer who lived in those days. 

Luther and Calvin agreed substantially 
2 



14 

on all matters of faith, excepting as to 
the manner of the presence of Christ in 
the sacrament, and as to the divine inspi- 
ration of some parts of the Scriptures. 
Luther taught the doctrine of God's 
sovereignty, of the divine decrees, of 
predestination and election, of original 
sin, of salvation through grace, of justi- 
fication by faith alone, of the influences 
of the Spirit on the hearts of sinners in 
their regeneration and sanctification, and 
of the perseverance of the saints, as ful- 
ly, as explicitly, as boldly, and as con- 
stantly as Calvin did. He did not con- 
sider these doctrines dangerous, and of 
pernicious tendency — neither did he re- 
gard them as mere abstract speculations 
with which the people of God have no- 
thing to do. They were the sum and sub- 
stance of the Gospel which he preached, 
and which God was pleased so remarka- 
bly to bless to the salvation of many souls. 



15 

It may, perhaps, surprise some, to find 
these doctrines prominent in all the 
writings of Luther — expressed at large 
and without reserve — when it is known 
that so few of those who are now called 
by his name, as a distinct religious de- 
nomination, agree with him. We may 
add, also, that these same doctrines which 
have been so much spoken against, 
which are regarded with so much pre- 
judice by many, are contained in the 
Confessions of Faith of most of the lead- 
ing Protestant Evangelical Churches 
which have been formed since the Re- 
formation. They are set forth and ex- 
pressed as explicitly and strongly, in the 
Articles of Faith and in the Homilies of 
the Church of England, in the Doctrinal 
Standards of the Reformed Churches of 
Holland and of their descendants, as 
they are in the Confession of Faith and 
Catechisms of the Westminister Assem- 



16 

bly of Divines, and which are the com- 
mon and publicly-expressed Standards 
of Faith in all Presbyterian Churches in 
Great Britain and in the United States. 
If there be any peculiarity in the Pres- 
byterian Church on this subject, it is not 
in having thosa doctrines in our Con- 
fession, and in our professing to believe 
them, but in our openly preaching and 
maintaining them. We have no desire 
to keep our faith of them a secret, nor 
to withhold them from the people. 
We feel bound, as honest men, and as 
commissioned preachers of the Gospel, 
to declare the whole counsel of God, 
whether men will hear or whether 
they will forbear. We dare not keep 
back any of that Scripture which has 
been given by inspiration of God, and 
which is profitable for doctrine — for 
reproof — for correction — for instruction 
in righteousness. Neither do we feel 



17 

any desire to suppress any part of that 
truth by which God has made himself 
known, and through the knowledge of 
which alone, men can be saved. We 
do not preach it reluctantly, nor by 
constraint, but willingly, as that through 
which God is glorified and his people 
sanctified. We must know God as he 
is, and we must know of his purposes, 
of his judgments, and of the methods of 
his grace, or we cannot know whether 
we love him, and cordially approve of him 
as our God. We must also understand 
the nature of His salvation, and be ac- 
quainted with the way in which He be- 
stows it, or we cannot know whether 
we desire it ; nor can we seek after it 
intelligently. 

It has been objected by some, even of 

those who had professed their faith in 

these doctrines, that the preaching of 

them would not be for edification, inas- 

2* 



18 

much as many would be offended at 
them. But this is only in confirmation 
of the Scripture which saith that the 
carnal mind is enmity against God; 
and that the preaching of Christ cruci- 
fied, as the only ordinance of God for 
the salvation of sinners, is a stumbling- 
block and foolishness. To suppress them 
for such, or for any reasons, would be 
to take unwarrantable liberty with the 
Word of God, and a presumptuous at- 
tempt to remove the offence of the cross. 
We believe that we have no such dis- 
cretion ; but are solemnly bound to be 
consistent and faithful, to speak as we 
think, to do as we profess. Besides, if 
we attempt to please men, we cannot 
be the servants of God, nor expect his 
blessing. We know that the wisdom 
of God is wiser than men. He employs 
means adapted to the end which they 
are intended to accomplish. He will 



19 

bless his own truth, and will make it 
efficacious to humble, purify and save 
men ; but not the inventions of human 
wisdom. Nor can these effects be pro- 
duced, without a knowledge of the whole 
truth. If men are, in their hearts, op- 
posed to the truth, and will not hear 
sound doctrine ; if they cannot renounce 
self; yield their own judgments, wills 
and prejudices to the teaching of God's 
spirit ; if they are not willing that God 
should be God — supreme, sovereign and 
absolute — a just God and a Saviour — we 
ought not to attempt to deceive them 
respecting the state of their hearts; nor 
should they conceal from themselves the 
melancholy fact that they are unbeliev- 
ers, have not the love of God in them, 
and will not have Christ to reign over 
them. Surely, the sooner they learn to 
know themselves as not subject to the 
law of God, the better. We have been 



20 

commissioned to make known the God 
of the Bible, as possessing those attri- 
butes and exercising those prerogatives 
which are peculiar and essential to him; 
and also the plan of salvation through 
Jesus Christ, in whom his people were 
" chosen before the foundation of the 
world, that they might be holy and with- 
out blame before him in love, and who 
was manifested in these last times for 
them who by him believe in God." If 
any are saved, it must be through him, 
for his is the only name given, under 
heaven, among men whereby we can be 
saved. They must be saved ; not in a 
way of their own fancy or choice, and 
which would gratify their pride, but ac- 
cording to the will of God ; not by works 
of righteousness which they have done, 
but according to his mercy, according to 
his purpose and grace, by the washing 
of regeneration and renewing of the Holy 



21 

Ghost. We are sent to publish the re- 
cord which has been committed to us : 
" that God has given us eternal life, and 
that this life is in his Son, and that this 
is eternal life, to know Him who is the 
only living and true God, and Jesus 
Christ whom he hath sent." Thus, in 
teaching our people all which we be- 
lieve, and in giving them a reason of the 
hope that is in us, we act under com- 
mission, and with a desire to promote 
the salvation of their souls. If, in doing 
so, we give oifence, we regret it; but 
we cannot do otherwise than speak the 
truth ; and we will constantly remind 
those who are offended, that their quar- 
rel is not with us, but with God, whose 
truth we endeavor to speak in love. 

But the distinctive peculiarity of the 
Presbyterian Church, as such, is to be 
found in her forms of worship, and in 
the principles of her government. These 



22 

we believe to be also in accordance with 
the Word of God, and derived immedi- 
ately from the Scriptures. They are as 
nearly in conformity with the simple, 
unadorned and unostentatious worship 
which was instituted by the Apostles, 
under the New Testament dispensation, 
as they can be under our different cir- 
cumstances. Our mode of public prayer, 
in a standing position, and of praise, with 
Psalms and Hymns, and spiritual songs, 
in which the whole congregation join — 
of reading and expounding the Scrip- 
tures throughout, and of administering 
the two only sacraments which have 
been instituted by the Great Head of 
the Church, of Baptism and the Lord's 
Supper — are authorized by the usage of 
the disciples, and by the express com- 
mands of our Saviour and his Apostles. 
The great Protestant principle, and 
which is held as fundamental by Pres- 



23 

byterians, is, that God alone is Lord of 
the conscience, " and hath left it free from 
the doctrine and commandments of men 
which are in anything contrary to his 
Word, or beside it in matters of faith and 
worship." " There is one God and one Me- 
diator between God and man — the man 
Christ Jesus." No being intervenes, or 
can interpose between us and that Me- 
diator. We have immediate and direct 
access to Immanuel. As Jehovah incar- 
nate, he comes down to us, and brings 
us nigh unto him. He is our only Con- 
fessor, Teacher, Guide, Counsellor, Sa- 
viour, Friend and Portion. No enact- 
ments of the Church, whose power is 
only ministerial and declarative; no eccle- 
siastical legislation ; no decrees of coun- 
cils; no priesthood; no Hierarchy; no 
Pope, nor creature of the State, can 
come between us and Jesus Christ, to 
debar us from his presence, cut us off 



24 

from our interest in him, and from our 
communion with him. This simple truth, 
when comprehended and appreciated, 
lifts us above tyranny and oppression, 
whether civil or ecclesiastical, and gives 
us a place among the free. It is the germ 
of all true liberty. The knowledge and 
faith of it have effected a far greater 
change in the moral character of those 
who have embraced it, than climate has 
ever effected in the physical character 
of the races of the human family, and 
one by which they may be as distinctly 
marked in their history. The men who 
have lived in the light of this doctrine, 
have stood erect like men. They could 
never be made to bow to arbitrary hu- 
man authority; they were subject to 
every ordinance of God, while they 
breathed the air of heaven and had their 
conversation there. It was for this the 
Covenanters of Scotland contended so 



25 

long and so nobly. It was their know- 
ledge of this truth wiiich made them 
what they were — which raised them so 
far above the world, and placed them so 
far in advance of their cotemporaries, as 
it regarded their views of truth, integ- 
rity, human rights, civil and religious 
liberty. They have received the por- 
tion in this world which our Saviour de- 
clared must be expected by his faithful 
followers — hatred, persecution and trib- 
ulation. They were hunted like wild 
beasts, and down-trodden, while they 
lived, and have been caricatured and 
ridiculed since their death ; still, in Christ 
they had peace. Their testimony and 
example remain as a monument in honor 
of their memory and of their attain- 
ments through grace, more durable than 
brass. 

The same is true of the Puritans of 
England, who have been, in some quar- 
3 



26 

ters, as much abused as the Covenant- 
ers ; but who have been also most ably 
and eloquently defended by those who 
could appreciate their character, as men 
to whom, under God, this nation and the 
world owe so much. It was their im- 
mediate, direct and constant intercourse 
with God, which made them wise, in- 
trepid and mighty in the truth ; indiffer- 
ent to the honors, riches and pleasures 
of the world ; grave in their whole de- 
portment; faithful, upright and consci- 
entiously sincere in all their intercourse ; 
cool and collected under every emergen- 
cy; determined, persevering and daunt- 
less, in the accomplishment of their pur- 
pose; calm and tranquil, peaceful and 
happy in their death. 

We give men the Scriptures, as con- 
taining the only infallible rule of faith and 
practice; to be diligently searched by 
every individual; to be received and 



27 

obeyed on the authority of God ; to be 
interpreted according to the analogy of 
faith, comparing Scripture with Scrip- 
ture, under the teaching of the Holy 
Spirit. This is the method, as we be- 
lieve, by which God intends graciously 
to restore man, and elevate him to his 
true dignity, as an intelligent, moral and 
responsible being. 

We have the ordinary officers which 
are mentioned in the New Testament, 
and all which were intended to be perma- 
nent in the Church, but no more. God 
has mercifully preserved us from error, 
from innovation and corruption in this 
respect also. We do not believe that 
the Church has been left without a Head, 
nor do we belong to a Church without a 
Head — far from it — but we believe that 
her glorious Head is in heaven. To this 
headship of the Church we hold, and can 
acknowledge no other j nor can we be- 



28 

lieve that the Lord Jesus Christ has left 
any other vicar on earth besides the Holy 
Spirit, whom he promised to send, and 
whom he did send, to supply the absence 
of his human nature, which the heavens 
must receive, until the time of the resti- 
tution of all things. We, therefore, look 
upon it as worse than mockery, as an 
impious and presumptuous usurpation, 
for man to affect, in any form, to act as 
the Head of the Church, or to perform 
the office of the Holy Spirit. The Lord 
Jesus Christ has left authority, and es- 
tablished government in his Church, but 
it is executive merely. The names, qual- 
ifications and duties of those who are to 
bear rule in his house, and the manner 
in which they are to be inducted into 
office, are all mentioned in the Scrip- 
tures, and are adopted by us as our 
guide in these matters. 

The Apostles were extraordinary offi- 



29 

eers, and as such had no successors. It 
was essential to the office of an Apostle 
that the incumbent should have seen 
the Lord — that he might testify to his 
resurrection as an eye-witness. To 
qualify Saul of Tarsus to become an 
Apostle, a special miracle was wrought. 
Jesus actually appeared to him. Be- 
sides, the Apostles were enabled to per- 
form miracles by which to confirm their 
divine commission. They could not, 
therefore, have successors; nor was it 
necessary that they should have, except 
as they were Presbyters and Ministers 
of Christ. That they were such, they 
themselves declare. Even Peter, who 
has been made to father all the abomi- 
nations of Rome, says, " the Elders I ex- 
hort who am also an Elder," a co-presby- 
ter, with you; and the Apostle John 
styles himself " the Elder to the elect 
lady" in his Epistle. We read in the New 
3* 



30 

Testament of Bishops who had the over- 
sight, the watch and care of a particular 
Church or Churches, and who performed 
the duties of a Pastor to them, but not 
of Bishops over the Ministers in a cer- 
tain district. The Lord Jesus Christ is 
the great shepherd and bishop over Min- 
isters and people. The Bishops spoken 
of in the Scriptures are Presbyters. 

Every reader of the New Testament 
knows that the terms Bishop and Pres- 
byter are convertible. They are used 
interchangeably to designate the same 
officers, who were required to possess 
the same qualifications, and who were 
ordained in the same manner. Paul, 
writing to Titus, says, i., 5, that he had 
left him in Crete, to ordain Elders, Pres- 
byters, (more than one,) in every city, 
as he had appointed him ; and then de- 
scribes the character of those who might 
be ordained, verse 6: " If any be blame- 



31 

less, the husband of one wife, having faith- 
ful children not accused of riot or un- 
ruly/' and gives as a reason for this caution 
in selecting candidates, what follows 
in the next verse, " For a Bishop must be 
blameless, as the steward of God," &c, 
thus evidently identifying the office of 
Presbyter and Bishop. By comparing 
this passage with what is written in 
1 Tim. iii., 1, it will be perceived that 
the same qualifications which are enu- 
merated as essential to the office of a 
Bishop, are those which are here named 
as necessary to the office of a Presbyter. 
Another instance of the interchangeable 
use of these terms we have in the well- 
known passage in Acts xx., 17-28. Paul 
sent for the Elders, the Presbyters, of the 
Church of Ephesus to meet him at Mile- 
turn, and enjoined them, among other 
things, to take heed to all the flock over 
which the Holy Ghost had made them 



32 

overseers, Bishops, to feed the Church 
of God, which he hath purchased with 
his own blood ; but we need not enlarge 
on this point. 

We read, also, of Ruling Elders, who 
do not labor in the word and doctrine, 
1 Tim. v., 17, but who, as helps, have 
authority to govern in the Church, tak- 
ing the oversight of the flock in connec- 
tion with the Pastor, having no authority 
as such to preach, administer the sacra- 
ments, nor to ordain. And we read of 
Deacons who were appointed, not to 
preach — not as a distinct order of the 
ministry, nor to hold an office which is 
to be a stepping-stone to a higher or- 
der—but as officers who were to manage 
the temporal affairs of the Church; to 
have the care of the poor, and to dis- 
pense to them the charities of the Church. 
They were appointed expressly to re- 
lieve the Preachers of the Gospel from the 



33 

duty of serving tables, and to enable 
those who were Preachers to give them- 
selves " continually to prayer and the 
Ministry of the Word/' Acts vi., 1-4. 
Besides these, we acknowledge no other 
permanent officers nor titles of office in the 
Church, because we do not find them in the 
Word of God, which is our only directory. 

There were Evangelists, as we also 
ordain Missionaries, without charge for 
special services in the Church ; but 
they belong to the same order of Minis- 
ters of the Gospel, among whom there is 
a perfect parity, according to the com- 
mand of Christ, Mat. xx., 25-28. 

We require the same qualifications 
in those whom we ordain to these offi- 
ces, and the performance of the same 
duties which belong to them respective- 
ly, as are specified in the Scriptures. 
And they are ordained to office, not by 
a Diocesan Bishop, because there is no 



34 

such officer named in the New Testa- 
ment. There is no account of any one 
who ever exercised such an office. We 
do not find the qualifications of such 
an officer enumerated, nor his duties de- 
fined. We therefore have no such officer 
in our system ; we do not believe in him. 
Nor is ordination performed by the 
people, the body of believers. They 
have no such power, and cannot confer 
it on others. There is no instance on 
record, in the New Testament, in which 
the people exercised that power. The 
power and commission to preach the 
Gospel, administer the sacraments and 
govern the Church, was not given to the 
people merely as worshipers, but to the 
Church, to be exercised by her officers. 
It comes from above, and is descending ; 
it comes from the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
is delegated to those whom he has de- 
signated as officers in his Church, and 



35 

through and by them is it to be imparted 
to others. The error of those (for I con- 
sider it an error and an abandonment of 
Presbyterianism) who reverse this order, 
and teach that the people are the source 
of this power, and that it is ascending 
in its nature, arises, as it appears to me, 
from their putting asunder what God has 
inseparably joined together, viz., the 
body of the people and the officers who 
are to rule over them. They speak of 
the Church as distinct from, and in op- 
position to, the officers of the Church, 
whereas the Church includes her officers 
and her Head. Through a fear, as it 
would seem, of being charged with hold- 
ing the odious doctrine of succession, 
they destroy the unity of the Church, 
divide her into ten thousand indepen- 
dent fragments which may spring up 
anywhere like mushrooms, having no 
connection with any that have gone be- 



36 

fore them, or that co-exist with them, or 
that shall come after them; and they 
subvert the order of Christ's house, leav- 
ing these independent societies without 
a Head and without a government, ex- 
cept as they may be created by them- 
selves. From an examination of the 
Scriptures, we cannot find that there 
ever has been a Church without a Min- 
istry. There can be no Church where 
the Word and sacraments are not admin- 
istered, and these can be administered 
by an ordained Ministry only. There 
have been congregations without Pastors, 
but they belonged to the Church which 
had a Ministry. We learn, also, that 
under the New Testament dispensation, 
the Ministry was before the Church, in 
the order of nature and of time; but 
was given to the Church for her edifica- 
tion. Now it is as easy for God to pre- 
serve a succession of Ministers, as it is 



37 

to preserve a succession of believers; 
and it is matter of history that he has 
done so* As the Church has been pre- 
served through all the changes of time, 
through all the revolutions of empires, 
and through all the persecutions of the 
infuriated world, so has her Ministry 
been preserved. With them is lodged 
the power of ordination — of inducting 
suitable men into the Ministry as their 
coadjutors and successors. This may 
be called the doctrine of succession, but 
it is a very different doctrine from that 
which teaches that there has been a 
succession of Popes or an unbroken chain 
of individual Bishops, ordained after a 
particular form, who have transmitted, in 
one line, a certain subtle, mysterious in- 
fluence and authority, the exercise of 
which is essential to the validity of all 
religious administrations, and to salva- 
tion. It is the doctrine of the succession 
4 



38 

or preservation of the Church, in fulfill- 
ment of the promise that " the gates of 
hell shall never prevail against her/' and 
that the Lord Jesus Christ will be present 
with her always, even unto the end. It is 
to maintain "that God cannot lie/ 5 and that 
the Scriptures cannot be broken, He has 
appointed offices to be executed by a dis- 
tinct class and a separate order of men* 
To fill those offices, persons were or- 
dained by the Apostles, with an injunc- 
tion to ordain others. On them rests 
the responsibility of looking out and 
training up others, and with them is 
lodged the power of ordaining them. 
"The things that thou hast heard of me," 
says Paul to Timothy, "among many wit- 
nesses, the same commit thou to faithful 
men who shall be able to teach others 
also'' 2 Tim. ii. 2. It may be asked, Have 
the people no voice ? have they no rights ? 
Unquestionably ; they elect their own 



39 

officers, they choose their own Pastors, 
and no one can be placed over them, in 
the Lord, without their consent ; yet 
their spiritual Rulers and Teachers must 
be inducted into office by the existing 
Ministry, just as it was in the case of the 
Deacons of whose appointment we have 
an account in the Acts vi., 5, 6. The 
people were required to make the selec- 
tion of suitable persons ; the choice was 
left entirely to them : but after they had 
been thus designated and elected by the 
people, the Apostles ordained them; and 
as it is in a manner in our civil affairs, 
the people elect their own officers, but 
they do not invest them with office. 
They are inducted into office and clothed 
with the authority of it, by the existing 
government. 

Our Ministers are ordained by the 
laying on of the hands of the Presby- 
tery. 1 Tim. iv., 14: " Neglect not 



40 

the gift that is in thee, which was 
given thee by prophecy with the laying 
on of the hands of the Presbytery." 
Ruling Elders and Deacons are ordained 
by the Pastor of the Church in which 
they are to serve. 

Thus it appears that our govern- 
ment is not monarchical ; it is not 
administered by a single individual i 
it cannot, therefore, be despotic nor 
arbitrary. It is not aristocratical ; the 
power is not placed in the hands of a 
ew self-constituted officers, who act in- 
dependently of the people, who are 
under no responsibility to them, who 
may perpetuate themselves, and from 
whose decision there is no appeal. The 
Pastor and the officers of particular 
Churches are not chosen by their prede- 
cessors, nor are they placed over congre- 
gations in an arbitrary manner by the 
Presbytery, but are regularly called by 



41 

the people. Every member of the Church 
has an equal privilege in this respect, 
having a voice in the election of those 
who are to be over him in the Lord. 

Here we may notice the salutary 
check which the Presbytery and the 
people mutually hold upon each other. 
If, on the one hand, the people should, 
at will, ordain their own minister, who 
would be accountable for his doctrine 
and life to them only, the greatest abuses 
might be practiced, under the garb of 
religion. They might be influenced by 
the most unworthy motives, in the se- 
lection of an individual to become their 
Pastor; and if he could succeed to render 
himself acceptable — if he should become 
popular, on account of his talents, style 
of writing, or eloquence, he might preach 
his own speculations instead of the Gos- 
pel, or himself instead of Christ, and his 

conduct be connived at notwithstanding. 

4* 



42 

He might privily introduce error, and 
seduce the people from the simplicity 
that is in Christ, and yet they would 
sustain him. This is matter of history. 
In this way men have " brought in damna- 
ble heresy, even denying the Lord that 
bought them/' and have corrupted some 
of the fairest portions of God's heritage. 
In some instances, also, the grossest im- 
moralities have been countenanced by a 
people, in their favorite Preacher. We 
are told expressly, that those who have 
itching ears, who are actuated by a spirit 
of self-pleasing, will, after their own lusts, 
heap to themselves Teachers. 

On the other hand, if the Presbytery 
should, at will, ordain persons who had 
not been tried by the Churches, who had 
never been called to the work of the 
Ministry by any of the people of God, 
they might add indefinitely to their own 
number, and burden the Churches. They 



43 

would destroy the balance of power in 
the Presbytery, which is now equally 
divided between the Ministers and the 
Ruling Elders, who are the representa- 
tives of the people ; and whenever the 
people are not represented in Church 
courts, and where their will is not con- 
sulted, there may they expect to be 
Priest-ridden and oppressed. 

Nor is our government a pure Democra- 
cy ; it is constitutional ; it is uniform, ac- 
cording to fixed principles ; and it is or- 
derly subject to the authority of the one 
great Head of the Church. We have 
laws, with their sanctions and officers, by 
whom they are to be executed, and 
who are clothed with power to preserve 
the purity and peace of the Church. 

It is, in many respects, analogous and 
most congenial to the free and happy 
civil government under which we live, 
and may, with propriety, be called a 



44 

Representative Republican Government, 
under which there is no respect of per- 
sons. It is the same form of government 
which was established in the primitive 
Churches, and we know, from history ,that 
it is the same which the Reformers es- 
tablished, wherever circumstances per- 
mitted them to do so, and which they 
intended to establish in all the Churches 
which were, through their instrumental- 
ity, delivered from the darkness, idolatry 
and abominations of Popery. Luther, 
Calvin and Knox, with their coadjutors, 
were all Presbyterians. They were of 
one mind on this subject, as well as of 
one spirit, and designed to establish a 
uniform government in the Church, as 
they did set forth a uniform faith. The 
continuation of Prelacy in England was 
owing entirely to the circumstances 
under which the Reformation was intro- 
duced into that country. The civil gov- 



45 

ernment was monarchical, analogous and 
most friendly to which is Prelacy. 

The reigning monarch at the time, 
who had received from the Pope the 
title of '"Defender of the Faith/ 5 as a re- 
ward for the book he had written in 
Latin against Luther, found it afterwards 
convenient and desirable, in order to 
accomplish certain domestic arrange- 
ments, to have himself acknowledged 
the Head of the Church, instead 
of, and in opposition to, the Pope at 
Rome, with whom he had quarreled. 
Henry VIII., that he might be divorced 
from one wife, and married to another — 
and, without having changed his reli- 
gious sentiments — was accordingly so 
proclaimed, and therefore it was that 
the English Church only exchanged one 
Pope for another. At the present time 
their sovereign Queen is the Head of 
their Church, as her predecessors have 



46 

been. The Reformation there was check- 
ed, and the government of the Church 
was continued much in the same form as 
it had been under the Pope, being admin- 
istered by the same Bishops who, until 
then, had adhered to Rome, and many 
of whom were still in heart Papists, as 
some of their successors have been ever 
since. Those who were truly Protes- 
tants, and who cordially embraced the 
doctrines of the Reformation, petitioned 
and labored hard for the Presbyterian 
form of Church government. They com- 
plained and remonstated against the ob- 
jectionable forms and usages which were 
retained during successive reigns, until, 
by cruel acts of conformity, attempts at 
coercion and bloody persecutions, they 
were driven from their native land, some 
to the continent of Europe, and others 
to these shores where God had prepared 
an asylum for them. Now we say 



47 

it is matter of thankfulness that the 
Presbyterian Church has been preserved 
from changes, innovations and corrup- 
tions in her doctrine, government and 
usages, to bear her testimony to the 
truth. She is the same in these respects 
now, that she was in the days of the 
Reformation, and in the days of the 
Apostles. 

By her primitive simplicity, and the 
form of her constitution, she is peculiarly 
adapted to be a most useful and efficient 
agent in the preservation and propagation 
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, among all 
classes of persons, and in all time. She 
has no outward attractions nor imposing 
forms, and never has had ; her worship 
is without pomp or show, and, as we 
believe on that account, more solemn 
and spiritual, and less liable to abuse. 
Where people are attracted by the out- 
ward circumstances of religious worship, 



48 

and where they can unite in it without 
preparation and without an effort of the 
mind— without the exercise of the heart 
and of the affections, as is the case 
where written forms are used — they are 
in great danger of deceiving themselves 
with a name to live, of trusting in the 
forms of godliness, of indulging in a self* 
righteous spirit, of feeling self-complacen- 
cy, and of crying peace when there is no 
peace. It is a cheap and easy way of 
quieting conscience, and of keeping upon 
good terms with ourselves. At the same 
time we do not say that it is necessarily 
so — by no means — we know it is not — - 
we only say that it is peculiarly liable to 
this abuse. 

There can be no better organization 
than ours for the promotion of educa- 
tion and the improvement of the con- 
dition of men — for the diffusion of in- 
telligence, the preservation of the pub- 



49 

lie morals, the elevation of the standard 
of piety, nor for the preaching of the 
Gospel to every creature, than this which 
God has given us. It is fully compe- 
tent to every benevolent operation, and 
wherever it has been faithfully admin- 
istered and fully carried into effect, it 
has been proved efficient to accomplish 
these important objects. 

The Ministers of the Presbyterian 
Church have, for the most part, been 
pious, educated and devoted men, and 
have contributed their full proportion 
of labor and influence to the cause of 
education and to the work of spreading 
the Gospel. No branch of the Church 
has done more for the establishment 
of schools and the diffusion of know- 
ledge, for the instruction of youth and 
of the members of her communion. 
Those who have been educated under 
her care, who have had the advantage 
5 



50 

of her Catechetical instruction in the 
family and in the sanctuary, who regu- 
larly hear the Scriptures expounded and 
applied, unless they have been most cul- 
pably inattentive and negligent, will be 
found intelligent on the most important 
subjects of their duty, familiarly ac- 
quainted with their Bibles and with the 
great principles of the Reformation. 

The influence of this system, in the 
formation of character, may be learned 
from the spirit which has characterized 
those who have embraced it. They 
have ever been the advocates of human 
rights, of freedom in all its forms, and of 
the largest liberty. They have cherish- 
ed and inculcated enlarged views of all 
those great practical subjects which have 
agitated society, and which affect human 
happiness, and the most liberal principles 
of action and of intercourse. Hence, 
they have, in every country and in every 



51 

age, as a denomination generally, been 
true patriots, loyal to the government 
under which they lived, and supporters of 
the laws and of the constitution by which 
they were bound. In the history of the 
changes and revolutions which have oc- 
curred in the nations among whom their 
lot has been cast, they have ever been 
found resisting oppression by all lawful 
means, maintaining the cause of truth 
and righteousness, and contending for 
liberty of conscience. 

They have been charged, but most 
unjustly, with bigotry and with too great 
rigor in adhering to their doctrine and 
discipline. No religious sect has been, 
nor is any evangelical denomination of 
Christians at this moment, so Catholic 
as Presbyterians are in their spirit, in 
their judgment of Christian character, 
and in their practice as it respects hold- 
ing communion with the members of 



52 

other denominations whom they consider 
to be united to Christ, the living Head. 
They are candid, frank and honest, and 
desire to be consistent, which may give 
them the appearance, to some, of exclu- 
siveness, but it is the appearance only. 
They require of those who are to be- 
come her permanent members — who are 
to be regularly admitted into her com- 
munion — and to remain as constituent 
parts of her family — an acquaintance 
with her doctrines, and an approbation 
of them, as well as evidence of piety — 
and they require of those who seek to 
be ordained as her Ministers or officers, 
a cordial adoption of her public stand- 
ards. 

To pursue a different course, could 
not be for peace or edification. They 
owe it to themselves — to the truth — and 
to their living Head to be loyal. But 
they do not judge nor denounce those 



53 

who differ from them — they leave all to 
stand or fall to their own master. They 
accord to all cheerfully that which they 
ask for themselves, liberty of conscience. 
They feel a strong preference for their 
own peculiar system — they have em- 
braced it from a conviction of its excel- 
lence, and of its conformity to the Word 
of God — but they do not regard the 
adoption of it as essential to salvation. 
Neither have they any desire to obtrude 
it or to impose it upon others as the con- 
dition of salvation. We might say 
much of the salutary influence of this 
system on individual character, and on 
the morals of the community in those 
countries where it has been received 
and appreciated — but we forbear. What 
we have said of it has not been in a spirit 
of boasting, but from a sense of duty to 
God and man — to testify to its divine 
5* 



54 

origin, and to the kind interposition of 
Providence for its preservation. 

We are aware that the adherence of 
numbers to a system is not in itself evi- 
dence of its truth or excellence. The mere 
fact that a society holding certain sen- 
timents is numerous, is no evidence in 
itself that they have the truth, or that 
they are approved of God. The wicked 
have hitherto outnumbered the right- 
eous in our world — false religions have 
had more votaries than the true — im- 
postors have numbered more followers 
than the divinely commissioned Teachers 
of God. But when a system is open to 
examination and investigation — attend- 
ing which there is no concealment — 
when it has stood the test of strong op- 
position and of violent persecutions — 
when it has other evidence of a divine 
origin, and can record palpable tokens 



55 

of the divine approbation — then its 
having been embraced by many intelli- 
gent minds in different parts of the globe 
during successive centuries — and its be- 
ing still embraced by numbers who 
can all testify to its salutary influence, 
entitles it to our confidence. 

We think we have in the nature of this 
system, and in the character of its doc- 
trines,evidence that it came from God, and 
that, in the history of its preservation, we 
have evidence of divine interposition. 
It is not a system formed to please men, 
to flatter their pride, nor is it lax and 
indulgent, conniving at sin ; but it is in- 
tended to save men from their sins, and, 
therefore, does it lay the axe at the root 
of them all — self must be denied and re- 
nounced — pride must be mortified and 
humbled. Those who embrace it are 
required to become fools for Christ, to 
consent to be esteemed so by others, and 



56 

to acknowledge that they know nothing 
as they ought to know T until they learn 
of him that they have no righteous- 
ness, and can never establish any of 
their own — that they are not sufficient 
of themselves so much as to think any- 
thing of themselves — that they must be 
saved by grace and remain forever un- 
profitable servants. Would the human 
mind ever have invented such a system 
of doctrine and of religion, in which 
there is no self-pleasing and from which 
all boasting of man is taken away, and 
all glorying of the flesh is effectually 
and forever excluded ? or would the 
carnal mind in its unchanged state ever 
embrace it? We can account from 
natural causes for the preservation of 
those systems which teach that men can 
obtain salvation by their own works — 
that, to be a member of the visible 
Church, and to give alms will entitle to 



57 

a place in heaven. Men will cheerful- 
ly submit to the greatest privations, and 
make any sacrifices if, by so doing, they 
can quiet conscience and, as they ima- 
gine, make out a title to eternal life. 
This is the secret of the success of false 
Teachers. They allow their followers to 
act from a principle of self-pleasing — to 
be seen of men to gain the reputation 
of eminent piety and the respect which 
appertains to it. They teach that pen- 
ance is the price of absolution — that 
working is the procuring cause of future 
blessedness — thus pride is not mortified, 
but cherished, and the sinner feels him- 
self a debtor to no one but himself. 
Such is not the doctrine of Christ ; ac- 
cording to his teaching there is no pro- 
mise of saintship, nor of Eiysian fields 
in the future world, as the reward of 
meritorious personal acts performed 
here, or of mortifications and sacrifices 



58 

self-imposed. All hope of obtaining justi- 
fication by the works of the law is cut 
off. The sinner must condemn himself 
and give God the glory — he must become 
a debtor to his rich and sovereign grace 
— he must live by faith and not by sight, 
and, therefore, must be operated upon 
by an influence more powerful than can 
be exerted by human motives to make 
the sacrifice. Hence, we believe that 
the Presbyterian Church has been pre- 
served by the influence of the Spirit of 
God on the hearts of men, making them 
willing in the day of his power to deny 
themselves as it regards pride, self-con- 
fidence and self-righteousness, and to 
take up their cross and to follow Christ. 
It is thus he has graciously continued 
a succession of Ministers and Elders in 
her, and added to her members. He has, 
at times, so manifested his presence and 
his saving power in the conversion of 



59 

multitudes, that disinterested and com- 
petent witnesses were constrained to 
testify to the reality and greatness of 
the work, saying, It is the Lord. But 
for such times of refreshing, the Presby- 
terian, and every branch of the true 
Church of Christ, would long ere this 
have become extinct. 

There are seasons of revival in which 
numbers are brought under deep and 
pungent convictions of sin — are led cor- 
dially to embrace the peculiar doctrines 
of grace, and to rest upon Christ alone 
for salvation ; and when the subjects of 
this gracious influence exhibit in their 
lives an entire change of character — - 
a change of spirit, of nature and habits. 
The Spirit of God comes not in the mighty 
wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the 
fire, but in the still small voice of the 
Gospel. He descends like the dew and 
like the rain, to secure the preservation 



60 

of the Church in this world, which, un- 
der all the circumstances of the case, is 
a greater miracle than any of those re- 
corded in the Bible. 

In the next place, I wish to show 
you that we have just cause of gratitude 
to God for his preservation of and gra- 
cious dealings with this Church, of which 
we are the members and few remaining 
representatives, but must reserve this 
part of our subject to be considered this 
afternoon, when I propose, by leave of 
Providence, to give a brief history of the 
First Presbyterian Church in this city. 

In the meanwhile, let us learn to appre- 
ciate our privileges and to improve them. 
We have an open Bible and liberty of 
conscience. We may all have access to 
God, through Jesus Christ without let or 
hindrance. 

Let us, through grace, exhibit in our 
lives the legitimate fruits of the Gospel. 



61 

Let us hold it fast, and transmit it pure 
and unadulterated, giving glory to God 
in the highest, that he has been pleased 
to make known the terms of peace on 
earth and his good will to men. 



DISCOURSE II 



DISCOURSE II 



Text.— Psalm cxxiv. 1-3,— <c If it had not been the Lord who 
was on our side, now may Israel say ; If it had not been the 
Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then 
they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled 
against us." 



It hath pleased God to establish a 
Church in our world, and to pledge his 
truth and faithfulness, as well as his 
omnipotence, for her preservation. She 
is built upon a rock, and that rock is 
Christ. When Peter professed his 
faith in Him as the Son of the liv- 
ing God, Jesus said, " Upon this rock" — 
i. e., upon myself, who am elsewhere 
in the Scriptures expressly called the 
rock — upon this essential and eternal 
truth, that I am the Christ, the Son of 
6* 



66 

the living God — upon this, as upon a 
rock — " will I build my Church, and the 
gates of hell shall not prevail against 
her." Intimating that the attempt to de- 
stroy her would be made — that she must 
expect the assaults of hell — but that 
they would be in vain. Hence the Church 
is also said to be built upon the Apostles 
and Prophets, " Jesus Christ himself be- 
ing the chief corner-stone." On another 
occasion our Lord made known to his 
disciples the reason why the enemies of 
the Church should be unsuccessful. He 
revealed the means of her preservation, 
and the secret of her safety in the pro- 
mise, " Lo ! I am with you always, 
even unto the end of the world." 

Hitherto this promise has been ful- 
filled ; she has been assaulted — she has 
been hated, opposed, and persecuted — 
but she has lived through all the tribu- 
lations and dangers which her enemies 



67 

have occasioned her, and through all 
the storms and revolutions of time. 

The Church is one, and has ever been 
the same in her doctrines and laws ; she 
has ever been emphatically the light of 
the world and the salt of the earth, ex- 
clusively furnishing the knowledge of 
the one only living and true God, and 
of Jesus Christ the only Saviour, and 
exerting a conservative and sanctifying 
influence. We speak now of the true 
Church which holds forth the word of 
life, which performs her appropriate 
functions, and accomplishes the great 
end of her organization. Which proclaims 
by her Ministry a full and free salvation 
through a crucified Redeemer — keeping 
pure and accessible to all the fountain 
which has been opened for sin and for 
uncleanness — and imparting to all the 
knowledge of its efficacv. Which exe- 
cutes the great commission of her ascend- 



68 

ed Lord — " to preach the Gospel to every 
creature; 55 and by letting her light shine 
before men — by carrying the bread and 
the water of life to the destitute, " makes 
glad the wilderness and the solitary 
place, and causes the desert to rejoice 
and blossom as the rose. 55 It becomes us 
on the present occasion to recall to our 
minds the great, gracious and paramount 
design of our Lord in establishing his 
Church, and the glorious work which is 
to be accomplished through her agency, 
viz., the manifestation of his perfections, 
the display of his glory in the salvation 
of sinners. Each separate branch of the 
Church should be as a light shining in a 
dark place — as a fountain sending forth 
living and healing waters— as a tree of 
life, whose leaves are for the healing of 
the nations. May we not say in truth, 
and without boasting, and ought we not 
to say with thankfulness that such has 



69 

been the character, in some degree, at 
least, and such has been the agency to 
some extent, of this Church, whose new 
place of worship we have been permit- 
ted this day to open here. We think it 
will appear also from a brief history of 
the origin, trials and persecutions, of 
the kind preservation, and salutary in- 
fluence of this Church, that we may ap- 
ply to her the language of the text. 

In January, 1707 — one hundred and 
thirty-nine years ago — the first move- 
ment was made which led to the organ- 
ization of a Presbyterian Church in this 
city. The inhabitants, at that time, con- 
sisted principally of Dutch Calvinists, 
who worshiped after the forms of the 
Church of Holland ; of French Refugees, 
who worshiped after the Geneva model; 
and of Episcopalians, who worshiped ac- 
cording to the forms of the Church of 
England. Besides these, there were a 



70 

few Presbyterians, who came together 
on the Sabbath, and worshiped God in 
a private house. They had no public 
place of worship, and were without a 
Minister to lead in their devotions, to 
preach the Gospel, or to administer the 
sacraments to them. They were thus 
early taught, what it was to be strangers, 
and to be as sheep without a Shepherd, 
that they might ever after sympathize 
with those who should be found in the 
same situation. In the month and year 
already named, two Presbyterian min- 
isters, Francis McKemmie and John 
Hampton — from the eastern shore of 
Maryland — on their way to Boston, vis- 
ited New York. As was most natural, 
under the circumstances of the case, the 
little flock, who were of the same faith 
with them, desired to hear them preach. 
That they might enjoy this privilege, 
they made application to the consistory 



71 

of the Dutch Church for the use of their 
place of worship, which was cheerfully 
granted. But there was another per- 
sonage to be consulted. The people, in 
those days, had a master, and one who 
was not backward to let them know 
that he was their master. It was ne- 
cessary to obtain permission from the 
Governor of the Province, who, at that 
time, was Lord Cornbury. He refused 
to grant the permission. Having been 
forbidden to preach in the Dutch Church, 
Mr. McKemmie preached in a private 
house in Pearl street, and also baptized 
a child. For performing these ministe- 
rial acts without a license from his Lord- 
ship, both he and his companion were 
arrested, brought before the Governor, 
and by his order cast into prison. They 
were kept in confinement nearly two 
months, when they were brought before 
the Chief Justice by a writ of habeas 



72 

corpus. Mr. Hampton, not having preach- 
ed in the city, was discharged, and Mr. 
McKemmie admitted to bail. In June 
following, he returned from Virginia to 
New York, to answer his prosecution 
before the civil court, and although, 
after a hearing of the case, he was ac- 
quitted by the jury, yet he was obliged 
to pay the costs of suit, amounting to a 
considerable sum, £83, 7s., 6d. He after- 
wards published an account of the trial, 
in a pamphlet form, a sketch of which 
may also be found in Smith's History of 
New York. Thus, in their first move- 
ment towards the attainment of their 
object, in their first attempt to obtain 
the administration of the Word and or- 
dinances of God, the Presbyterians in 
this city met with opposition and perse- 
cution. This taught them what they 
were to expect, reminded them that in 
the world they must have tribulation, 



73 

and prepared them for the series of dis- 
couragements which followed* This 
treatment, however, did not change 
their sentiments, nor did it disperse 
the little flock ; but only retarded the 
consummation of their devout and earn- 
est desires. In consequence of it, they 
were kept in a weak and unorganized 
state for ten years. We hear of no one 
of their own denomination attempting to 
preach to them during all that period. 
Still they were not permitted to aban- 
don their enterprise. God had an im- 
portant work for them to do in this city. 
They must not, therefore, cover their 
light, deny their principles, and do vio- 
lence to their conscience, by quietly and 
passively uniting with other Christian 
denominations. 

Much as w r e deprecate the division 
of feeble communities into various reli- 
gious sects, on account of slight differ- 
7 



74 

ences of opinion, by reason of which 
they deprive themselves of the regular 
ministrations of the Gospel, an evil 
which is deeply felt and extensively 
deplored in most of the villages and 
country towns throughout our land, and 
while we would inculcate the union of 
all who agree in the fundamental truths 
of revelation, and hold the same Head, 
we could never justify an abandonment 
of vital principles and of essential truths, 
nor a compromise with error. Besides, 
if we would enlist men of different na- 
tions, feelings, sentiments and habits, 
which are not sinful, in the service of 
God, we must respect even their reli- 
gious prejudices, much more their honest 
preferences; and Christian union does 
not consist in outward uniformity, but 
in sustaining the same relation to Jesus 
Christ, and in possessing his spirit. It 
has, no doubt, been promoted in the pres- 



75 

ent state of society, by allowing differ- 
ent creeds, and names, and forms of 
worship to exist unmolested. There 
have been, and still are, many active 
and useful members of the Church, in 
their respective religious societies, who 
are engaged in their different depart- 
ments, in the performance of an import- 
ant work to the cause of Christ, who 
contribute their full proportion of means 
and influence towards the advancement 
of the Redeemer's kingdom in the world, 
but who, speaking after the manner of 
men, w T ould do nothing, if Israel were 
not divided into different tribes, and 
moving under separate banners. Hence, 
it is a mistake to suppose that the dis- 
persion or extinction of any one or 
more of the different religious denomi- 
nations, or the closing of their churches, 
would be a gain to that amount to the 
remaining denominations. We have 



76 

reason to fear that many would not act 
at all, if they were not permitted to 
choose their own communion, and if 
they could not be indulged in their pecu- 
liar preferences. It is in this as in alms- 
giving ; if there were but one object of 
charity, all would not contribute to it, nor 
would it be better supported when pre- 
sented alone, than it is, when presented 
in company with others, which commend 
themselves respectively to the minds and 
sympathy of different individuals. 

We may, in this connection, notice 
another mistake, arising from want of 
consideration on the subject of build- 
ing and supporting separate Churches. 
We hear persons lament the expendi- 
ture of large sums of money in the 
erection of costly buildings for places of 
worship, when there are so many desti- 
tute of the means of grace, taking for 
granted that the sums thus expended 



77 

are taken from the fund which would be 
appropriated to supply the destitute ; in 
other words, that it is robbing the poor 
to gratify the rich. But this is a great 
mistake : if these sums were not thus 
expended, they would not be applied to 
the destitute — they would either be 
withheld, or expended on objects less 
deserving. Besides, in some cases, the 
restrictions of the charter, under which 
funds are held, prohibit the application 
of them to any other use. Surely the 
house in which we worship God should 
bear some proportion, as to its price and 
appearance, to the houses we inhabit. 
Shall we dwell in ceiled houses and in 
palaces, and by our neglect of the house 
of God, seem to say that any structure, 
the humblest and plainest, is good enough 
for the Lord ! Rather let us bring him 
a costly offering, if we can do so with- 
out robbery or injustice, and let us do it 
7# 



78 

with the same motive which actuated 
" the woman who broke the alabaster 
box of very precious ointment wherewith 
she anointed her Lord/' and then, though 
we may be censured by men as she 
was, yet, like her, we shall be com- 
mended by our master, and have our 
offering accepted. 

We may lament, on some accounts, to 
see separate action for the promotion of 
kindred benevolent objects, and separate 
ecclesiastical organizations to effect one 
and the same great end, yet who does 
not know, that in the existing state of 
the world, they are necessary, and have 
been overruled by Infinite Wisdom, to 
accomplish a vastly larger amount of 
good than would ever have been ac- 
complished without them ? Can any of 
us now regret the separate organization 
of the Presbyterian Church in this city ? 
Would it have been better for the city, 



79 

for the country, and for the world, if 
those individuals who first sought it had 
yielded their preferences, and united 
themselves in Christian fellowship with 
the existing religious denominations ? 
He who saw the end from the beginning 
thought not so; we who know some- 
thing of the results of that organization, 
of the amount of salutary and saving in- 
fluence which has been exerted by it, in 
the formation of Christian character and 
in the bringing of multitudes of immor- 
tal souls into the kingdom of God, can- 
not think so. We regard with the deep- 
est interest and with the liveliest emo- 
tions of gratitude, that little germ of 
Presbyterianism, that little vine which 
was then planted, that little rill which 
then took its rise. 

That germ has become a sturdy tree, 
that vine has been preserved and water- 
ed, and has shot forth its branches, bear- 



80 

ing many clusters ; we are permitted to 
sit under its branches and to partake 
of its fruit — that little rill has, by the 
blessing of God, become a fertilizing 
river, and is still widening and deepen- 
ing its channels as it flows. 

In 1717, John Nicholl, Patrick 
McKnight, Gilbert Livingston and Tho- 
mas Smith, with a few others, formed 
the design of erecting themselves into a 
congregation, and of establishing the 
public worship of God among them, ac- 
cording to the doctrines and usages of 
the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. 
In pursuance of this design, they called 
the Rev. James Anderson, who was a 
native of Scotland, educated and or- 
dained there, but at the time was a mem- 
ber of the Presbytery of Philadelphia. 
This sufficiently contradicts the assertion 
which has been published to the world, 
that this was originally a Congregational 



81 

Church. If more is necessary, to prove 
the character of the Church, we have it 
in the Records of the Session, and of the 
Trustees, and in the several public doc- 
uments relating to this congregation. 
There is a pamphlet still extant, under 
the title of the u Case of the Scotch 
Presbyterians of New York/ 5 contain- 
ing the petitions of the Church, presented 
at different times, for an act of incorpo- 
ration, in which they style themselves 
" The Presbyterian Congregation/' and 
afterwards more fully " The Presbyteri- 
an Church of the City of New York, ac- 
cording to the Westminster Confession 
of Faith, Catechism and Directory, agree- 
able to the Established Church of Scot- 
land :" also containing the names of the 
Ministers, of the Elders, of the Deacons, 
and of the Trustees of the Church at 
the time, showing a perfect Presbyterian 
organization. It is true, that there was, 



82 

at one time, a division in the congrega- 
tion, on the subject of Church order, 
resulting in a temporary secession of a 
small minority. Some of those who 
were in favor of New England usages, 
separated from the Church, and obtained 
the services of an independent minister 
of the Gospel, the Rev. Mr. Edwards, 
as a supply for one winter. But after- 
wards finding themselves too feeble in 
numbers and resources, to continue as 
an independent Church, they were dis- 
banded, most of them returning to the 
Church which they had left, and which 
continued unchanged. Mr. Anderson 
and his people met at first for the public 
worship of God in the City Hall — then 
standing at the corner of Nassau and 
Wall streets — the use of which was 
granted them by the corporation of the 
city. The next year, 1718, they pur- 
chased a lot of ground in Wall Street, 



83 

and in 1719, erected their first building 
for a place of worship. To defray the 
expense thus incurred, they adopted the 
expedient which has been so generally 
practiced ever since, of sending abroad 
for aid. A Delegation was sent into the 
Colony of Connecticut, who obtained 
permission from the Governor to make 
collections ; and Dr. Mcholl went to 
Scotland, where he received a consider- 
able sum, by order of the General As- 
sembly of that Church. 

In 1720 they made their first application 
for a charter. Their petition was pre- 
sented to Mr. Schuyler, President of the 
Board, who appeared friendly to their ob- 
ject, and the Council reported in favor of 
granting their request. But they were 
defeated by the officious interference and 
opposition of the Vestry of the Episcopal 
Church. A member of the Vestry of 
Trinity Church appeared before the 



84 

Council, to oppose the granting of a 
charter. 

Shortly after this, a new Governor 
having arrived, they renewed their ap- 
plication, which was again denied, 
through the influence of the same hos- 
tile party. Instead of mentioning in de- 
tail, and according to their dates, the 
repeated subsequent applications which 
were made at different times for this 
boon, so reasonable in itself, which 
might have been so easily and so safely 
granted, and which was of so much im- 
portance to the parties seeking it ; and 
without animadverting on the pains that 
were taken and the artifice practiced to 
defeat the several applications, or on the 
unmanly, ungenerous and unchristian 
spirit of those who diligently, persever- 
ingly and obstinately resisted them; we 
may remark here, once for all, that the 
Vestry of Trinity Church had influence 



85 

enough at court — which they never ne* 
glectecl to exert— to prevent the Presby- 
terian Church in this city, for more than 
half a century, from obtaining a charter 
of incorporation. We mention this as 
matter of history, and we trust without 
any unkind feelings, either towards the 
living or the dead. During the whole 
of that period the Presbyterians were 
subject to great inconvenience and in- 
jury, and in danger of having their prop- 
erty wrested from them. There were 
legacies left them which they could not 
receive, and the avails of which were 
diverted to other purposes than those for 
which they ware intended. Meanwhile 
they were obliged to pay their full pro- 
portion of the expense of supporting the 
established religion. In this emergency, 
having no prospect of obtaining a char- 
ter, by which they might enjoy, as an 
incorporated body, a right to their 
8 



86 

church and cemetery; deeming them 
unsafe in private hands, especially con- 
sidering the insidious treatment they had 
received from those who were hostile to 
them, and taking warning by what had oc- 
curred at Jamaica, on Long Island, where 
the property of the Presbyterians had 
been actually taken from them by the 
Episcopalians ; and being also alarmed 
by the attempts which had been made 
to wrest from the hands of an individual 
the amount of a legacy which he held 
in trust for the Presbyterian Church, 
they determined to vest the fee of their 
church and ground in the General As- 
sembly of the Church of Scotland, to 
secure them against any similar attempt 
to alienate them from the pious uses for 
which they were intended. The trust 
was accepted and held temporarily by 
the Moderator of the General Assembly 
of the Church of Scotland, the Mod- 



87 

erator of the Presbytery of Edinburgh, 
the Professor of Divinity therein, and 
the Procurator and Agent of the Church 
of Scotland. After the Revolution, these 
gentlemen reconveyed the property, set- 
ting forth the purposes for which it was 
to be used, to the Trustees of the 
Church. 

In illustration of how much may be 
done towards sustaining a Church, by a 
single individual, to whom God gives a 
heart and mind for his service — and also 
in justice to the memory of the dead — 
it may be mentioned, that the whole 
management of the temporal affairs of 
this Church, during the most troublous 
and trying times of her history, was en- 
trusted, almost entirely, to Dr. Nicholl. 

All testified to his singular attention, 
diligence, assiduity, fidelity and perse- 
verance in promoting the interests of the 
Presbyterian Church in this city, and to 



88 

his success in sustaining them during 
his life. He has left behind him this 
honorable testimony, That he was as 
eminent for his piety as a Christian, as 
he was for his skill as a physician, and 
that the Presbyterian interest in this 
city is more indebted to him than to any 
individual who ever belonged to it. 

In a sermon preached on the occasion 
of his death, by the pastor of the Church 
at the time, it is said, " These walls will 
be a lasting monument of his zeal for 
the house and public worship of God, 
in the erecting of which he spent a con- 
siderable part of his estate, and under- 
took a hazardous voyage to Europe for 
the establishment and security of this 
infant society. Upon these and other 
accounts too numerous to be mentioned, 
while a Presbyterian Church subsists in 
the city of New York, the name of Nicholl 
will ever be x^emembered with honor, as 



89 

one of its principal founders and its 
greatest benefactors." The secret of 
his usefulness and success was to be found, 
under God, in the interest which he felt 
in the Church. He set his heart upon 
the work of promoting her prosperity, 
and did not allow his mind to be diverted 
from it by any personal considerations, 
nor by the petty and pitiful jealousies 
which might be felt or expressed re- 
specting him. He appreciated Church 
privileges for himself, and comprehended 
their importance to others. He did not, 
however, wait for others to take the 
lead in perpetuating them — nor refuse 
to act because others would not co-ope- 
rate with him. He did not say, " I can 
do without a Church if they can do with- 
out it ;" but acting under a sense of his 
individual and personal responsibility, 
he adopted the resolution of Joshua — to 
the effect that whatever others might 
8* 



90 

do, as for him and his house they would 
serve the Lord — yea, he redeemed the 
time and did with his might what his 
hands found to do for God. 

In 1726, Mr. Anderson accepted a call 
from a Church in Pennsylvania, leaving 
the Church in this city vacant. 

In 1727, they called and received as 
their Pastor, the Rev. Ebenezer Pem- 
berton. 

It was during his ministry that the 
celebrated and highly-honored servant 
of God, the Rev. George Whitefield, 
visited this country. Mr. Pemberton 
was the only Clergyman in this city who 
opened his Church doors to him, and in- 
vited him into his pulpit, for which he 
was abundantly recompensed of God. 

The preaching of Mr. Whitefield in 
Wall street, proved a great blessing to 
the Church; a number of highly respect- 
able individuals and families were 



91 

brought into the congregation through 
his instrumentality, and both the Pastor 
and the Church were greatly and per- 
manently revived. In consequence of 
the great increase of the Church at that 
time, it became necessary to enlarge 
their place of worship, which was done in 
1748. On that occasion, a committee was 
sent to Boston to procure a stone with a 
Latin inscription, commemorative of the 
event, the translation of which is as 
follows, " Under favor of God — this edi- 
fice — sacred to the perpetual celebration 
of Divine worship — first erected in 1719 
— again thoroughly repaired and built 
larger and more beautiful in 1748. The 
Presbyterians of New York founding — 
for their own and their children's use — 
have given, presented and dedicated — 
and more illustriously adorned by reli- 
gion, concord, love and the purity of faith, 
worship and discipline. May it by favor 



92 

of Christ endure to many generations." 
This stone has been preserved. 

The following inscription was placed 
in the wall over the magistrate's pew, 
also in Latin. " Under the auspices of 
George II., King of Great Britain, Pa- 
tron of the Church, and Defender of 
the Faith." 

From this we may learn something of 
the state of things at that time, of the 
interest which was felt in the cause of 
religion, and of the pains which were 
taken in building the house of God. 

But the increase of the Church was 
not the 'only blessing which was sent 
them in return for their hospitable and 
courteous reception of Mr. Whitefield. 
His preaching in a neighboring city was 
under God, the means of the conversion 
of one, who subsequently became their 
Pastor, and served them as such with 
great fidelity and success for more than 



93 

half a century — one who exerted a more 
extensive influence for good— received 
more honor as a laborer in the Word and 
doctrine of Christ, and who is recollect- 
ed by those who knew him with more 
affection than any who has ever served 
them in the ministry. His biographer 
informs us, that on one occasion, when 
Mr. Whitefield was preaching in Phila- 
delphia in the open air, a,s he frequently 
did, young Rodgers, then a lad of about 
twelve years of age, was among his hear- 
ers, when the following incident, which is 
familiar to many of you, occurred. To 
show his respect for his favorite Preach- 
er, he approached near him and held a 
lantern for his accommodation. He soon 
became so absorbed in the subject of the 
discourse — was so deeply impressed and 
so agitated, that he was scarcely able to 
stand. Under this excitement, he un- 
consciously allowed the lantern to fall, 



94 

by which it was broken and the light 
extinguished. The circumstance, of 
course, attracted the notice of those who 
were near, and of the speaker at the time. 

The impressions he then received 
were confirmed and deepened, and re- 
sulted, as he believed, in his conver- 
sion. 

During the fifth visit of Mr. White- 
field to America, which occurred some 
years after, he had occasion to visit the 
place where Mr. Rodgers (who in the 
meantime had been prepared for, and 
admitted into the ministry) was settled 
as a Pastor. When riding with him one 
day, in the course of conversation, Mr. 
Rodgers asked him whether he recol- 
lected the incident in the case of the lit- 
tle boy who became so much affected 
under his preaching as to let his lantern 
fall ? Mr. Whitefield replied that he 
did, and had often thought he would 



95 

give almost anything to know who he 
was, and what had become of him. Mr. 
Rodgers replied, I am that little boy. 
The emotions of Mr. Whitefield can bet- 
ter be conceived than described, when 
he affectionately embraced him, and 
with tears of joy remarked that Mr. 
Rodgers was the fourteenth person then 
in the ministry whom he had discovered 
in the course of that visit to America, 
of whose hopeful conversion he had been 
the instrument. 

The congregation continuing to in- 
crease, in 1750 they called Mr. Alexan- 
der Cummings— a Licentiate of the Pres- 
bytery of Newcastle — to be a colleague 
with Mr. Pemberton. He accepted 
their call, was ordained, and entered on 
the duties of his office. 

Shortly after this, serious and painful 
difficulties occurred in the congregation, 
which resulted in the resignation of both 



96 

Ministers. The causes of these were 
various. Doubtless they might in part 
be traced to the hasty admissions into 
the Church of some who were not root- 
ed and grounded in the truth, and who 
felt no attachment to the Presbyterian 
Church, as such. The Ministers at that 
time had allowed a departure from the 
order of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. 
Pemberton had been educated in New 
England, and could not be expected to 
sympathize with those of his congregation 
who came from Scotland and Ireland. 
He allowed the office of Ruling Elder to 
go into disuse, and required their duties 
to be performed by the Deacons and 
Trustees. Mr. Cummings accepted a 
call from a Congregational Church, from 
which we may infer that he, too, pre- 
ferred that form of Church government. 
They also attempted to introduce 
Watt's version of the Psalms, with his 



97 

Hymns, which occasioned a warm and 
protracted contest. Besides, they im- 
mediately experienced the evils of hav- 
ing more than one Minister over the same 
Pastoral charge — each having their ad- 
herents and followers. Evils which they 
continued to feel during their subsequent 
history, in a greater or less degree, until 
the collegiate system was discontinued. 
The congregation remained vacant 
for a considerable time, in consequence 
of their divided state. The subject of 
their difficulties was referred to the syn- 
od — a committee of that body visited 
them, and endeavored to restore peace 
and harmony. In the meantime, they 
made four different attempts to obtain a 
Minister, and were disappointed. The 
fifth person whom they called was the 
Rev. David Bostwick, of Jamaica, L. I. 
After much opposition on the part of his 
people, and consequent delay, he accept- 
9 



98 

ed their call, and became their Pastor in 
1756. In the early part of his ministry, 
which was popular, acceptable, and high- 
ly successful, a portion of the dissatisfied 
members of the Church seceded and 
formed the First Associate Reformed 
Church, in Cedar street — now the Scotch 
Presbyterian Church in Grand street. 
After that separation the remaining 
Church was left in peace and quietness 
in their own communion. 

In 1762, they purchased a parsonage 
house for Mr. Bostwick — and also called 
the Rev. Joseph Treat, of the Presbytery 
of New Brunswick, to be his colleague. 
The next year, in 1763, Mr. Bostwick 
was removed from them by death, after 
a few days' illness — having been much 
beloved and highly esteemed by all who 
knew him. 

In 1765, they called the Rev. John 
Rodgers, to whom they had before ap- 



99 

jmz^&pf^88e$&&^^ Pres- 

plied in 1754, but who then declined 
their invitation. Mr. Rodgers accepted 
their second call, entered on the duties of 
his office in July, and was installed as Pas- 
tor in September, of that year. Again 
the Church was revived, prospered, and 
greatly increased. It became necessary 
to procure a second place of worship. A 
lot was accordingly obtained at the cor- 
ner of Nassau and Beekman streets, on 
a perpetual lease, from the Corporation 
of the City, upon which a new building 
was erected. This second place of wor- 
ship was opened and dedicated to the 
worship of God in January, 1768. 

The members of the Presbyterian 
Church in this city, and throughout the 
colonies, were, with few exceptions, at- 
tached to the American cause in the 
Revolutionary struggle for the liberties 
and Independence of the country. In 
consequence of this, most of the mem- 



100 

bers of the First Church went with their 
Ministers into exile at the commence- 
ment of the war. We need not add that 
there was no advancement in religion — 
no increase nor extension of the Church 
during the war. Just as was the cause of 
it, all was havoc, desolation and ruin dur- 
ing its continuance — the necessary con- 
comitants of war under any circumstances. 

On their return to the city, after an 
absence of some seven years, they found 
that the church edifice in Wall street 
had been used by the British as bar- 
racks for their soldiers, and the one in 
Beekman street as a hospital. Both were 
left in such an injured and ruinous state 
as to be utterly unfit for occupancy as 
places of worship. The Parsonage house 
belonging to the church had also been 
burnt. 

The Episcopalians (whose churches 
had not been injured at all) manifested 



101 

byterians after the Revolution, from that 
which had characterized their treatment 
of them before that event. They had 
been supported by the State, allied with 
the government, and in favor at court. 
They had been in the ascendency — 
but they were now a small minority — 
and it was a question with them, no 
doubt, whether they were to be tolera- 
ted. They had become, in their turn, 
as they have been ever since in this 
country, the Dissenters. They general- 
ly, with a few honorable exceptions, dis- 
sented from the patriots of the Revolu- 
tion — from the policy and movements of 
the successful and predominant portion 
of our citizens, who, under God, achieved 
our Independence— from the principles 
of our free government, and of all our 
popular institutions. If the Presbyteri- 
ans had felt disposed to follow their ex- 
ample, and had desired a national reli- 
9* 



102 

gion, established by law, they might 
have obtained it. But they were op- 
posed to such an arrangement from prin- 
ciple ; and it was owing to their influ- 
ence — especially to the influence of those 
evangelical Ministers of the Gospel who 
were opposed to Prelacy — that the Con- 
stitution of the United States on that 
subject was framed as it is — favoring no 
one religious denomination, but protect- 
ing all. Their petitions, drawn up with 
great ability — their papers, containing 
their firm, powerful and decided remon- 
strance against a union of the Church 
with the State — are still extant; from 
which it appears that they entertained 
as enlightened, enlarged, liberal and 
disinterested views on this subject, as 
any that have been expressed since, and 
which were creditable alike to their 
heads and their hearts. 

The Vestry of Trinity Church now 



103 

unsolicited offered the Presbyterians the 
use of St. Paul's and of St. George's 
churches, until one of their own church- 
es might be repaired, which offer was 
accepted. They also, at a subsequent 
period and unsolicited, gave the Presby- 
terians a lot of ground in Robinson 
street, for the use of their senior Minis- 
ter. Such a spirit was in accordance 
with the spirit of the Gospel, and should 
ever characterize those who profess to 
love and worship the same Saviour. 
" Bear ye one another's burdens, and so 
fulfill the law of Christ." Different 
names, or the observance of different 
forms and ceremonies, should not be per- 
mitted to separate — much less to alien- 
ate — those who hold one faith and one 
baptism — who have access by one Spirit 
— who worship one Lord as the God 
and Father of all, and cherish one and 
the same hope of their calling. 



104 

The Brick Church was first repaired 
and reopened in June, 1784. The church 
in Wall street was repaired and reopened 
the following year. Mr. Treat not hav- 
ing returned to the city after the war, 
the united congregations called, in the 
ensuing spring, the Rev. James Wilson 
as a colleague with Dr. Rodgers. Mr. 
Wilson's health failing, he was obliged 
to resign his charge in 1788. They 
were then for a few months supplied by 
two candidates, viz., the Rev. James 
Muir, from Scotland, and the Rev. Jed- 
ediah Morse, author of the American 
Geography. As the congregations be- 
came nearly equally divided between 
the two, they were unable to unite in a 
call for either of them. In the follow- 
ing year they called the Rev. John Mc- 
Knight,who, having accepted their invi- 
tation, was installed as co-pastor with 
Dr. Rodgers, over the united congrega- 
tions. 



105 

About this time the Trustees purchased 
a lot in Nassau street, joining the lot 
upon which the church in Wall street 
was built, and erected a building there- 
on to be used as a charity school, to be 
under the care of the Session and Trus- 
tees of the Church. The funds required 
for this object, consisted in part of lega- 
cies which had been left for it, and in 
part of sums raised by voluntary sub- 
scriptions. The school went into ope- 
ration in 1789, and was principally sup- 
ported by an annual collection in each 
of the Churches. It continued in con- 
nection with the Church until an ar- 
rangement was made with the Public 
School Society, by which it was placed 
under their care. I mention this to re- 
mind you that parochial schools are not a 
modern institution. They ought to be — 
as it was intended that they should be 
— an appendage to every Church. In 



106 

1792, the Rev. Samuel Miller was called 
and installed as one of the pastors of the 
two Churches. In 1798, a third Presby- 
terian Church was opened in Rutgers 
street. The ground upon which it was 
erected having been presented for that 
purpose by the late Henry Rutgers, a 
member of the Reformed Dutch Church. 
The Rev. Dr. Milledoler was called and 
settled as the first Pastor of that Church, 
with the understanding that his labors 
were to be confined to that charge. In 
1807, a colony from the Church in Wall 
street and from the Brick Church, with 
others who were unable to obtain pews 
in either of those places of worship, pur- 
chased ground and built the Cedar street 
Church. Dr. Rodgers was permitted 
to lay the corner stone, and to preach 
the opening sermon, in each of those 
Churches. 

In 1809, the Churches were separated, 



107 

and became independent of each other : 
each having their own Pastors, except 
that Dr. Rodgers continued his pastoral 
relation to the First and to the Brick 
Churches. 

In that and the following year, the 
Church in Wall street was rebuilt. The 
congregation met for public worship from 
the 9th of December, 1809, to the 11th 
of August, 1811, in the French Church 
in Pine street. During the same period 
another Presbyterian church was built in 
Spring street, in part, of the materials of 
the old Church in Wall street. We 
may here remark that considering the 
time, the resources and circumstances 
of the congregation, the house of wor- 
ship which was erected in Wall street 
at that time, was relatively quite as 
costly as the one we have this day en- 
tered ; and also, that it was built by the 
contributions of the people, and not with 



108 

funds raised by the sale of other proper* 
ty. The pew-owners — as has been done 
by others in similar cases — relinquished 
their rights, and repurchased their pews 
at high prices, to pay the debt incurred 
by the erection of the new building. 
They did not embarrass their Trustees 
and their Building Committee with 
threats of desertion and abandonment ; 
saying, if you incur the least debt, we 
will leave you to pay it as you can. 
Such a spirit would never have built up 
the Presbyterian Church, nor will it build 
up any Church — it is that holding back 
and pulling down spirit which would crip- 
ple every noble, generous and benevolent 
enterprise. They viewed their Trus- 
tees as their agents, to prepare a place 
of worship for them and their children. 
They felt themselves their debtors, and 
equally interested in the success of the 
Church. They said, we must have the 



109 

Church, and we are willing to pay for 
it— and they did so. 

The separation of the Churches having 
been effected by mutual consent, Dr. 
McKnight, with the permission of Pres- 
bytery, resigned his pastoral charge. 

Dr. Rodgers departed this life in May, 
1811, leaving Dr. Miller sole Pastor. For 
the facts of this brief history I have been 
indebted to the records of the Church, 
and to a MS. narrative contained in 
them, and also to the history of this 
Church, which has been more fully pub- 
lished — together with some account of 
each of the Pastors — by Dr. Miller, in 
his life of Dr. Rodgers — a book which 
ought to be in every Presbyterian 
family. 

In 1813, the Church was left vacant 
by the removal of Dr. Miller to Prince- 
ton, where, as is known to most of 
you, he is still living, usefully employed 
10 



no 

as one of the Professors in our Theolo- 
gical Seminary — highly respected and 
much beloved throughout the bounds of 
our own Church not only, but by the 
Christian community at large. 

In 1815, the Rev. Philip Melancthon 
Whelpley received and accepted a call 
to become the Pastor of this Church. 
He continued in that office until his re- 
moval by death in July, 1824. The pul- 
pit was again left vacant, until January, 
1826, when he who now addresses you 
was installed Pastor. 

In 1834, the building which had been 
erected in 1810, was partially destroyed 
by fire. It was, however, immediately 
rebuilt, and reopened for worship on 
the same ground in 1835. The congre- 
gation in the meanwhile occupied the 
church then belonging to the Reformed 
Presbyterians in Chambers street. 

In May, 1844, the commodious and 



Ill 

beautiful house of worship in Wall street 
was vacated by this congregation, and 
has been removed to Jersey city, where 
it is used for the purpose for which it 
was built, and where it may be visited 
by those who love to have awakened 
and to cherish the associations and re- 
collections of former days. 

Having been obliged by circumstances, 
over which we as a religious society 
had no control, to abandon our former 
much beloved place of worship — having 
sought Divine direction — praying in sin- 
cerity in the language of Moses — saying 
" Lord, if thy presence go not with us, 
carry us not up hence" — and having 
been advised by the Presbytery to which 
we belong to remove to this part of the 
city — we felt called upon in the Provi- 
dence of God to sacrifice personal feel- 
ings and considerations, for the promo- 
tion of the general good of the Church. 



112 

We laid the corner stone of this building 
in September, 1844. To-day we have 
been permitted to open it as a house of 
prayer. We enter it — not to commence 
a new enterprise, but, with the blessing 
of God, more effectually to carry for- 
ward that holy enterprise which was 
commenced more than a century ago — 
we have come here, not for the first 
time to plant a vine ; but as it were, to 
transplant and to cause it to take deeper 
root — a vine which has long since been 
planted, and which has at different times 
been watered with the dews of heaven, 
and with the early and latter rains. We 
have come with the hope and the pur- 
pose, more fully and extensively to ac- 
complish the pious and benevolent de- 
signs of the original founders of this 
Church, to afford accommodations for 
public worship, and for the giving of re- 
ligious instruction to a greater number 



113 

of those for whose benefit these privi- 
leges were intended, than were enjoy- 
ing them in the lower part of the city. 

We feel called upon, on the present 
occasion^ to record the loving-kindness 
and faithfulness of our God, who has for 
so long a period, and through so many 
changes and trials preserved a people 
called by his name — distinguished for 
their warm and sincere attachment to 
his truth and devote dness to his ser- 
vice — to whom he has sent a succession 
of pious, able, and faithful Ministers, 
who have preached the same Gospel of 
his grace, and administered the same 
sacraments in their purity, and after the 
same simple form of their original insti- 
tution ; among whom he has raised up a 
succession of godly and intelligent Elders 
to take the spiritual oversight of the 
flock, and for whom he has continued a 
Board of Trustees of high character and 
10* 



114 

respectability to take an interest in, and 
to manage with wisdom their temporal 
affairs ? Who can estimate the degree 
and extent of that salutary influence 
which has been exerted immediately and 
remotely on the temporal and eternal in- 
terests of men through the preaching of 
the Gospel — the administration of the 
sacraments, and in answer to the prayers 
which have been offered by this single 
Church ? The amount of influence 
which has been exerted in the formation 
of Christian character, and in the promo- 
tion of the comfort and happiness of in- 
dividuals, of families and of the commu- 
nity — of the knowledge which has been 
imparted — of the Christian sympathy 
which has been awakened — of the true 
charity which has been exercised — as 
well as the measures of grace which 
have been communicated through this 
medium for the sanctification and pre- 



115 

paration of immortal souls for heaven, 
can be disclosed in eternity only. 

We desire to feel our responsibility 
as the successors of so many generations 
of those who have gone before us — hold- 
ing forth the Word of life, and holding 
fast the form of sound words set forth 
in our public standards, and derived 
from the oracles of God. We are called 
upon in a peculiar manner to walk 
worthy of our high vocation — we must 
see to it that we hold the same truths 
and transmit them uncorrupted as they 
have come to us. The history of this 
Church must not be blotted in that pe- 
riod of it in which we constitute her 
members— there must be no break in 
the chain at the link which we are ex- 
pected to supply — there must be no 
abandonment of any of those doctrines, 
the faith of which has, according to the 
testimony of so many witnesses, been 



116 

efficacious to sanctify, to support, to 
comfort and to save. Let us continue 
in the old ways and walk in the old 
paths, for we know they are safe and 
lead to everlasting life. 

If, at any time, we should feel tempt- 
ed to forsake the Church of our Fathers, 
or to relax our efforts to sustain her, let 
us remember their noble example of at- 
tachment and of devotion to her. What 
was it that induced them to band to- 
gether as a Christian Church, and to 
persevere in their struggles to maintain 
their separate and distinct existence as 
such, under all the trying circumstances 
of their situation ? Why did they make 
so many sacrifices, and submit to so 
many vexations, and to so much injury 
and obloquy on account of it? Why 
did they tax themselves for its support, 
when they were obliged to contribute 
to the support of another form of wor- 



117 

ship at the same time ? When they 
found the enterprise encompassed with 
so many difficulties, why did they not 
abandon it ? It was principle ; it was 
their love of the truth and of the admin- 
istration of the ordinances of God, as 
they believed them to have been insti- 
tuted by the Lord Jesus Christ ; it was 
for the sake of a good conscience, both 
toward God and toward man. 

Wherefore, when tempted to embrace 
a different system, let us ask ourselves > 
is the religion which it teaches purer 
and holier than that of our Fathers ? Are 
the forms of its worship more Scriptural 
or more spiritual than theirs ? Is it a 
system of truth more efficacious to pre- 
pare us for death and for heaven, than 
that which we have been taught by our 
Fathers ? Is it one which will cause us 
to hate sin more — to love and practice 
holiness more perfectly ? which will 



118 

more effectually change our spirits, im- 
prove our hearts, and reform our lives ? 
which will make us more truly humble — 
more sincerely and devoutly pious ? 
which will constrain us more powerfully 
to renounce the world, the flesh, and the 
devil, and will enable us to serve God 
with more simplicity, fidelity and godly 
sincerity ? which will cause us to love 
his truth, his ordinances, and his king- 
dom more, and to abound more in all 
good works, to the honor and glory of 
His name ? 

If so, let us embrace it anywhere, and 
under any name. But if not, why 
should we renounce our faith, repudiate 
the validity of the ministrations of the 
Church which God has honored ? within 
the pale of which we were born, 
within whose precincts we were sol- 
emnly dedicated to God, and taught to 
worship Him only ? Rather let us abide 



119 

in the precious and endearing Church 
relations into which God, in his Provi- 
dence, has brought us, cherishing a sense 
of our present and constant dependence 
on Him ; and supplicating the continu- 
ance of his favor. We declare this day, 
publicly before God and the world, that 
we hold the same faith which has been 
professed and proclaimed in this Church 
from its commencement. We desire to 
reiterate our sincere, devout and fervent 
supplications, that this house may ever 
be used exclusively for the pure and 
holy worship of the One only living 
and true God; that the peculiar doc- 
trines of divine revelation, as received 
by the Presbyterian Church, may con- 
tinue to be believed, faithfully preached 
and inculcated here ; and that the dis- 
pensation of them may be attended with 
the demonstration of the Spirit, and with 
divine and saving power. That we, with 



120 

our children and their successive gene- 
rations, may here assemble from time to 
time in honor of Jehovah, to receive 
the bread and water of life, so abun- 
dantly provided by the great Head of 
the Church; that multitudes may here 
be brought to the knowledge and ac- 
knowledgment of the truth, according 
to godliness, be preserved in the unity 
of the Spirit, and in the bonds of peace, 
walking in faith, and hope, and joy, 
through their union with Him who is 
the resurrection and the life; whose de- 
light and privilege it shall be, to be act- 
ively and successfully engaged in the 
work of winning souls, until all the ran- 
somed of the Lord shall be gathered 
into his fold, and time shall be no more. 



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DODDRIDGE'S RISE AND PROGRESS. 

Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul. Illustrated in a Course of Se- 
rious and Practical Addresses, suited to persons of every character and 
circumstance, with a Devout Meditation or Prayer subjoined to each 
chapter. By Philip Doddridge, D.D. 

THE COTTAGE FIRESIDE; 

Or, the Parish Schoolmaster. By the Rev. Henry Duncan, D.D. 

"This is a reprint of a Scotch work, by a clergyman of high standing, who does 
not now for the first time appear as an author. The narrative is constructed with 
great beauty, and is designed at once to illustrate and remedy some of the principal 
evils connected with domestic education. The work may very properly occupy \ he 
attention both of parents and children ; and it will be read with pleasure by all who 
cau relish the simple and beautiful in thought and expression." — Argus. 

THE CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATED, 

In a Course of Lectures delivered in the Argyle Chapel, Bath. By Rev. 
William Jay. New Edition. 

"It has all the peculiar marks of Jay's mind ; perspicuity of arrangement, simpli- 
city and occasional elegance of diction, deep-toned piety and copiousness of senti- 
ment. In recommending such a book we are conscious of doing a service to the 
cause of piety, by promoting the spiritual-mindedness, and consistent, symmetrical 
conduct of every Christian who prayerfully peruses it." — Baptist Advocate. 

WORKS OF REV. HENRY SCOUGAL 

Containing the Life of God in the Soul, &c. 

DEW OF ISRAEL, 

A.nd the Lily of God ; or, a Glimpse of the Kingdom of Grace. By F. 
W. Krummacher, D.D. Second American, from the second London 
Edition. 

CHRISTIAN FRAGMENTS; 

Or, Remarks on the Nature, Precepts, and Comforts of Religion. By 
John Burns, M.D., F.R.S., Regius Professor of Surgery in the Univer- 
sity of Glasgow, &c. &c. 

"The different pieces constitute so many distinct, though sometimes brief, disquisi- 
tions upon scriptural topics, and are designed to promote the spiritual-mindedness of 
Ihe reader. They were written under the pressure of deep affliction, and in view o* 
in approaching judgment. They display sound thought, evangelical sentiment, cor- 
I ect doctrine, and an elevated tone of Christian feeling." — Advocate. 

CHRISTIAN FATHER AT HOME; 

Or, a Manual of Parental Instruction. By W. C. Brownlee, D.D. 

A GLIMPSE INTO 
THE WORLD TO COME, 
,n a Waking Dream. By the late George B. Phillips. With Extracts, 
illustrative of his Spiritual Progress; and a Brief Memoir, by Mrs. 
Duncan, author of " Memoir of Mrs. Mary Lundie Duncan," &c. 
"This is altogether an extraordinary production. The small portion of it which 
fives it its title, is a strain of fervent pious imaginings, based however upon the ora- 
cles of God. One cannot easily read it without gaining a more deep and solid im 
pression of the other world.*' 
7 



R. CARTER'S PUBLICATIONS. 



INFANT PIETY. 

A Book for Little Children. By Baptist W. Noel, M.A. 

u \n this volume one of the finest spirits in the established church of England givei 
us a simple record of the pious lives and happy deaths of several little children on 
both sides of the Atlantic* The work is well adapted to accomplish the benevolent 
design of its author, by leading little children to remember their Creator." — Albany 
Evening Journal. 

A MEMOIR OF JOHN HUSS. 

Translated from the German. 

"To many who are familiar with the life of Martin Luther, that of John Huss, who 
preceded him, and prepared the German mind for his more exteuded labours, is com- 
paratively little known. The true character of Romanism is displayed in the treat- 
ment of each, but some of the darkest shades are seen in the case of Huss." — Baptist 
Advocate. 

HELEN OF THE GLEN. 

A Tale of the Scottish Covenanters. By Robert Pollok, A.M. 

THE PERSECUTED FAMILY. 

By Pollok. 

RALPH GEMMELL 
By Pollok. 

• JESSY ALLAN, 

The Lame Girl. By Grace Kennedy, author of " Anna Ross," &c. 

"It is an affecting tale, and strikingly illustrates the power of religion, and it* full 
adequacy to human wants in every emergency." — Christian Mirror. 

SINNER'S FRIEND. 

From the eighty-seventh London Edition, completing upwards of half a 

million. 
J£g^ This little Work has been translated into sixteen different languages. 
"It is designed by its direct appeals, to arrest the attention of the most careless 
reader, and to pour into his ear some word of truth before he can become fatigued 
with reading." — Presbyterian. 

"It is fitted to be an admirable auxiliary to ministers in the discharge of their 
duty." — Albany Daily Advertiser. 

DECAPOLIS; 

Or, the Individual Obligations of Christians to save Souls from Death. An 
Essay. By David Everard Ford. Fifth American, from the sixth 
London Edition. 

"This book is an exhortation to Christians, and Christian ministers, to exercise 
greater faithfulness in saving souls from eternal death. We have read it with much 
pleasure, and we hope with some profit. The book is most beautifully got up ; and 
we could wish that it might Reread and pondered by every one who indulges a hope 
that he is a Christian." — N. Y. Evangelist. 

SHORTER CATECHISM. 

Anecdotes Illustrative of the Shorter Catechism. By John Whitecross. 
New Edition. 

"This will relieve the catechism of a difficulty which many have felt in respect to it 
— that it is too abstract to be comprehended by the mind of a child ; here every truth 
is seen in its practical relations, ai.d becomes associated in the mind with some inter- 
esting fact which is fitted at once to make it plain to the understanding, to lodge it in 
the memory, and to impress it upon the heart." — Daily Advertiser* 
8 



R. CARTER'S PUBLICATIONS. 



MEMOIR OF JOHN D. LOCKWOOD. 

Being Reminiscences of a Son by his Father 

"A gifted mind and cultivated powers, hallowed and controlled by a sweet and 
trustful piety; the simplicity of childhood mingled with the seriousness and discre- 
tion of mature age, — we are sure no one could watch his brief career, terminating in 
a death, though sudden, not unprepared for, without deep interest. We have read 
it with*unmingled pleasure and profit " — y. Y. Evangelist. 

PERFECT PEACE. 

Letters Memorial of John Warren Howell, Esq,, of Bath, M. R. C. S. 

By the Rev. David Pitcairn. With an Introduction by the Rev. John 

Stevenson, author of •' Christ on the Cross," " The Lord our Shepherd 

&c. 

PROFESSION IS NOT PRINCIPLE; 
Or the Name of Christian is not Christianity. By Grace Kennedy, authot 

of " Jessy Allan," " Anna Ross," &c. 

GOSPEL PROMISES. 

Being a Short View of the Great and Precious Promises of the Gospel. 
By the Rev. Joseph Alleine, author of " An Alarm to the Unconvert- 
ed," &c. 

LIFE IN EARNEST. 

Six Lectures on Christian Activity and Ardour. By the Rev. Jame 
Hamilton, author of u Harp on the Willows," &c. 

MY GRANDMAMMA GILBERT. 

By Old Humphrey. 

MY GRANDFATHER GREGORY. 

By Old Humphrey. 

MEMOIR OF HANNAH SINCLAIR. 

By the late Rev. Legh Richmond. From the nineteenth London Edition. 

TRUE HAPPINESS; 
Or, the Excellence and Power of Early Religion. By J. G. Pike, author 
of " Persuasives to Early Piety," &c. Second Edition. 

CHARLIE SEYMOUR; 

Or, the Good Aunt and the Bad Aunt. By Miss Catharine Sinclair, au- 
thor of " Modern Accomplishments," &c. Third Edition. 

LIVE WHILE YOU LIVE. 

By the Rev. Thomas Griffith, A.M., Minister of Ram's Episcopal Church, 

Homerton. 

CROOK IN THE LOT; 
Or, a Display of the Sovereignty and Wisdom of God in the Afflictions of! 

Men, and the Christian's Deportment under them. By the Rev. Thoma3 

Boston. 

A TRIBUTE OP PARENTAL AFFECTION 

To the Memory of my beloved and only Daughter, Hannah Jerram, with 
a Short Account of the last Illness and Death of her elder Brother, 
Charles Stranger Jerram. By the Rev. Charles Jerram, A. M«, 
Vicar of Cobham, Surrey. From the fifth London Edition. 
9 



R. CARTER'S PUBLICATIONS. 



THE LORD'S SUPPER. 

Bickersteth's Treatise on the Lord's Supper. With an Introduction, 
Notes, and an Essay. By G. T. Bedell, D.D. Fifth Edition. 

COMMUNICANT'S COMPANION. 
By the Rev. Matthew Henry. With an Introductory Essay, by the Rev. 
John Brown of Edinburgh. 

BAXTER'S CALL. 

Now or Never, &c. With an Introductory Essay, by Dr. Chalmers. 

RELIGION AND ETERNAL LIFE; 

Or, Irreligion and Eternal Death. By J. G. Pike. 

THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER. 

A Tale. By Mrs. Cameron. 

LIFE OF REV. JOHN NEWTON. 
Written by himself, and continued to his Death. By the Rev. Rich. Cecil. 

THE HARP ON THE WILLOWS. 

Remembering Zion, Farewell to Egypt, The Church in the House, The 
Dew of Hermon, and the Destination of the Jews. By the Rev Jas. 
Hamilton, of London. From the forty-fifth London Edition. 

SABBATH MUSINGS. 

By Caroline Fry. 

HERVEY'S MEDITATIONS 

AND CONTEMPLATIONS. 

New Edition. 

THE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION 

IN EUROPE. 
With a Chronology. 

MY SCHOOL-BOY DAYS. 

SORROWING, YET^REJOICING. 
Or a Narrative of Successive Bereavements in a Clergyman's Family. 

DIVINE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIANITY. 

By J. G. Pike, author of " True Happiness." &c, &c. 

A WORLD WITHOUT SOULS. 
By J. W. Cunningham, A.M., Vicar of Harrow. 

THE WORLD'S RELIGION. 
As contrasted with genuine Christianity, by Lady Colquhoun. 

ADVICE TO A YOUNG CHRISTIAN, 

On the inportance of aiming at an elevated standard of piety. By a Villag 
Pastor, with an Introduction by Rev. Dr. Alexander, of Princeton, N. J 

CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. 

By the Author of " Christian Retirement " 
10 



R. CARTER'S PUBLICATIONS. 



WORKS BY THE BEV. JOHN A. CLARK, D.D. 

Late Rector of St. Andrew's Church, Philadelphia. 

His works are all characterized by good thoughts expressed in a graceful and ap« 
propriate manner, by great seriousness and unction, and an earnest desire to promote 
the spiritual interests of his fellow-men." — Daily Advertiser. 

A WALK ABOUT ZION. 
Revised and Enlarged. Fifth Edition. 12mo. Two steel Engravings. 

THE PASTOR'S TESTIMONY. 

Revised and Corrected. Fifth Edition. 12mo. Two steel Engravings. 

THE YOUNG DISCIPLE; 

Or, a Memoir of Anzonetta R. Peters. Fourth Edition. 12mo. 

GATHERED FRAGMENTS. 

Fourth Edition. 12mo. Two steel Engravings. 

Containing.— The M'Ellen Family.— The Paralytic— The Withered Branch Re- 
vived. — The Baptism. — Little Ann. — The Meeting of the Travellers. — Mary May^ 
wood. — A Family in Eternity. — One whose Record is on High, &c. &c.j 

GLEANINGS BY THE WAY. 

Or, Travels in the Country. 1 vol. 12mo. 

AWAKE, THOU SLEEPER! 

A Series of Awakening Discourses. 12mo. 

"Few American clergymen have contributed more by their efforts from the pulpit 
and through the press, to promote the cause of evangelical truth and piety, than the la- 
mented author of this volume. Happily, though dead, he yet speaks in a tone of im- 
pressive and earnest admonition ; and the present volume particularly, is a witness 
to the f delity and zeal with which he discharged his ministerial duties. The subjects 
of which it treats are of the deepest moment ; and the manner in which he treats 
them is worthy of the tenderness and fidelity of an ambassador of Christ. The work 
is admirably adapted to promote a revival of religion." 

COMPLETE WORKS OF BISHOP BUTLER. 

Containing Analogy of Natural and Revealed Religion, Dissertations, Ser- 
mons, Correspondence with Dr. Clarke, &c. &c. To which is prefixed 
an Account of the Character and Writings of the Author. By Dr. Ha- 
lifax, Bishop of Gloucester. 1 vol, 8vo. Splendid Edition, on pica 
type and fine paper. 

BUTLER'S ANALOGY. Large type. 8vo. 

BUTLER'S SERMONS. 8vo. 

BAXTER'S SAINTS' REST. Large type. 

DICK ON ACTS. 

Lectures on the Acts of the Apostles. By the late John Dick, D.D., 
Professor of Theology of the United Secession Church, Glasgow, author 
of " Lectures on Theology," &c. From second Glasgow Edition. 8vo. 

"The style of the author is peculiarly adapted to a work of this description. It 
is uncommonly perspicuous, terse, nervous and calm. His ideas are the production 
of a highly-cultivated mind, originally endowed with strong common sense. In 
many respects he has the characteristics of Andrew Fuller, with more of the polish of 
the school." — Baptist Advocate. 

MEMOIR OF MRS. ISABELLA GRAHAM, 
11 



R. CARTER'S PUBLICATIONS. 



JAY'S MORNING EXERCISES 

For the Closet, for Every Day in the Year. New Edition. 12mo. 

JAY'S EVENING EXERCISES 

For the Closet, for Every Day in the Year. New Edition. 12mo. Uni- 
form with the Morning Exercises. 

DAVID'S PSALMS. 48mo. gilt. 

Do. do. With Brown's Note*. 18mo. 

THE INQUIRER DIRECTED 

To an Experimental and Practical View of the Work of the Holy Spirit 
By Rev. Octavius Winslow. 1 vol. 12mo. 

CHRIST OUR LAW. 

By Miss Caroline Fry. Author of " The Listener," " Christ our Exam- 
ple," &c. 1 vol. 12mo. Second Edition. 

LIFE, WALK AND TRIUMPH OF FAITH. 

By the Rev. W. Romaine, A.M. 12mo. New Edition. Muslin. 

KEY TO THE SHORTER CATECHISM, 

Containing Catechetical Exercises, a Paraphrase, and a new Series of 
Proofs on each Question. New Edition. 18mo. 

SORROWING YET REJOICING. 32mo. gilt edge. 

CONTEST AND ARMOUR. 

By Dr. Abercrombie. 32mo. extra cloth, gilt edge. 

GIFT FOR MOURNERS. 

By Flavel and Cecil. 32mo. extra cloth, gilt edge. 

CECIL'S REMAINS. 

Remains of the Rev. Richard Cecil, M.A. To which is prefixed a View 
of his Character. By Joseph Pratt, B.D., F.A.S. From the eleventh 
London Edition. 1 vol. 12mo. 

ALLEINE'S LIFE AND LETTERS. 12mo 

HERVEY'S MEDITATIONS. 2 vols. 18mo. 

MEMOIR OF DR. NISBET. 

By Dr. Miller, of Princeton. 12mo. 

HILL AND VALLEY. By Miss Sinclair. 12mo 

SIR ROLAND ASHTON; 

& Stale of tfje artmes* 

By Lady Catherine Long. 2 vols. 12mo. 

CHRIST ON THE CROSS. 

By Stevenson. 1 vol. 12mo. 

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